


Bonding Op

by FuryTigresse



Series: After The Nightmare [6]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Family, Family Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Post Devil May Cry 5, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-08 14:47:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18625417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryTigresse/pseuds/FuryTigresse
Summary: Nero and Vergil couldn't refuse Dante's very vague challenge, so here they are: in Nero's living room, bonding over a video game.





	Bonding Op

**Author's Note:**

> This has no real plot to it, I'm sorry and it's perfectly fine if you don't like it xD It's just an idea that wanted out (" _what would happen if Dante challenged brother and nephew to a video game night?_ ") :p I basically just scribbled this at full speed in my notebook and then tweaked it a bit while typing.
> 
> This happens at some point after _Present_ , a few months later or so.
> 
> As usual, English isn't my first language, so do tell me if you see weird sentences and/or typos. :)

Nero looked at the pizzas - three of them - that Dante had brought, and sighed. He heard a similar sound right next to him and glanced aside to Vergil, who was sitting by his side, looking equally as displeased to be there. "There" being Nero's house, in the living room, in front of the TV, with a plastic cube on a table nearby. Cables went from the cube to the TV, and more cables were linked to more plastic devices. Nero knew what this was, but Vergil was eyeing the cube suspiciously, and the Devil Hunter decided not to spark anything. Kyrie was out with the kids for the evening, going to a little play in town with them, so at least that was one less thing he had to worry about.

However, why they were here, doing this, was beyond Nero's comprehension. It had been a few weeks, no, a few _months_ since he had last seen his family when Dante had called him and pretty much _challenged_ him, although he hadn't specified what the challenge would be. Nero's pride hadn't let him turn his uncle down, and Vergil had reacted pretty much the same way. Dante had decided that Nero's living room would be the best place for this to go down, so Vergil had made a portal to carry them there without a tedious car ride. It _was_ good to see his father and uncle after a long time seeing neither, but this was still super weird.

"Why are we doing this already?" Nero asked loudly, prompting an answer from Dante, who was coming back with plates.  
"It's family bonding time, kid!"  
"You _know_ this is destined to fail, Dante," Vergil growled in a low voice, a deep scowl on his face.  
"I mean, I'm all for not stabbing each other, but why _this_?" Nero sighed.  
"Told ya already, the client only had this thing to pay with, so I figured-" Dante started.  
"You decided that an old fucking beat-up GameCube was going to do as payment?!" the younger Devil Hunter exploded, interrupting his uncle and standing up. "How worse can you be at keeping this fucking business open?! No wonder you're-"  
"Nero," Vergil spoke softly, before he raised an eyebrow at Dante. "This is my brother we're talking about. Don't expect too much from him. Evidently, I've inherited all the intelligence mother and father passed down to us."  
"Coup bas, brother!" the younger twin groaned.

He put the plates down and sat with his brother and his nephew, cutting the pizzas with a little pout on his lips.

"This evening is supposed to be fun! Next one who throws an insult at someone else automatically admits defeat, capisce?"

He got silence in return, Nero sitting again, and he nodded, satisfied, done with cutting the pizzas.

"Good. Then let me explain what we're doing tonight! First, this device here is called a GameCube, just like Nero said. I know _you_ 've never seen one, brother."  
"A... GameCube. What form of power does it possess?"  
"It's just a game console," Nero sighed, rolling his eyes, not at his father for not knowing that, but at Dante for accepting this thing as payment. "An _old_ game console. I've never played it before, but it's not the first time I see one."  
"You _know_ what this is, kid?!" Dante asked, surprised.  
"Fortuna is isolated, not backwards, asshole."  
"Right. I'll ignore the insult for this time because I know you love me anyway."  
"Fuck you."  
"A... game console. I was under the impression that this was a _challenge_ , Dante," Vergil commented, visibly confused but absolutely refusing to admit it.  
"I _am_ challenging you dumbasses. See, this console- it came with a game!"

He proudly showed them the box, which made Nero get up again. "What?! _Mario Party 7_?! Are you fucking serious?!"  
"Yeah, and it's gonna be a _blast_."

Vergil didn't seem to get it, but Nero shook his head, grabbing a controller. His father would get it soon enough, and Nero just hoped that his living room would survive.

***

"This... round, white creature is having incredible luck," Vergil commented with a frown after Boo, controlled by the computer, got its third free Star from a DK space on the Grand Canal board.  
"That's just typical AI cheating," Dante growled, red cracks appearing on his skin, his eyes glowing with a fiery light. Nero used his spectral hand to smack him behind the head.  
"Hey, Dante! Watch the Devil Trigger!" he hissed.  
"Sorry, kid."

He watched as the Legendary Devil Hunter took a deep breath - and a slice of pizza -, and the cracks slowly disappeared. He could see that Vergil was still frowning at the screen, although that may have just been just his normal expression. He couldn't tell in the dim light. "This is... curious. This 'challenge' has nothing to do with skill."  
"The minigame roll has been terrible," Nero agreed. " _Cointagious_ five times already, a few duels on _Warp Pipe Dreams_ , and _Ghost in the Hall_ at least twice. It sucks. Only luck-based games so far."  
"Oh, c'mon, dumbasses. You're just being sore losers. That game is pretty good if you ignore our bad luck," Dante huffed.

Vergil's eyes glowed a bright blue, his irritation growing, and Nero sighed, smacking him too. "Watch it!"

The glow disappeared, and so did Nero's wings. "Fuck, why do I need to remind you that my living room can't fucking survive you two being stupid?"  
"Insult, Nero. Disqualified!" Dante announced in a pleased voice.  
"Oh, we're _actually_ doing this? Then you're the one who lost first!"  
"What?!"  
"You have indeed called us both 'dumbasses' and 'sore losers', little brother," the older twin pointed out, making Dante groan and put his controller down.  
"Whatever. I don't really care."

Nero glanced at his father, who kept a fully indifferent expression. He was a bit sick of that stupid game, but he wouldn't admit it. Bowing out of the competition was like losing.

"Restarting the board with just the two of us, dad?" he asked with a little smirk.  
"Very well."

***

Grand Canal, Pagoda Peak, Pyramid Park, Neon Heights, Windmillville. Nero barely contained a sigh of relief when they finally reached Bowser's Enchanted Inferno. He could feel his Devil Trigger approaching, and he had to frequently take a deep breath to keep it away. The boards were frustrating, and Nero wasn't exactly a video game fan, but he had to admit one thing: teaming up with his father against the AI characters - two of them, since Dante was out of the competition - during some minigames was indeed helping them bond more than he had thought it would. What was helping _less_ was the fact that Vergil had better beginner's luck than Nero, and he had won three of the five boards they had played so far, whereas Nero had won two.

"I'm gonna win this one," the Devil Hunter groaned.  
"Maybe."

The next hour proved Nero right, and he shouted in victory as he snatched a very close win, not thinking about the fact that this might wake up the kids, and not really caring at the moment, to be honest. He laughed when he caught Dante jumping a bit. Apparently, the Legendary Devil Hunter had fallen asleep during the last game, since he wasn't actively participating anymore.

"Score for Nero! That makes us even, dad!" he announced proudly.

Vergil put his controller down with a nod, looking satisfied enough, as much as he could, with his eternal frown. "At least you possess counting skills that are of a higher level than Dante's."  
"Uncalled for, Vergil," Dante protested sleepily. "You guys are done with all the boards?"  
"Yeah! Finally fucking done with this stupid-ass game," Nero groaned happily. "Now, get outta my house. It's fucking late and I need some sleep."

Vergil quirked an eyebrow at his son, thumb pushing the Yamato slightly out of its sheath. Nero's spectral arms appeared out of a reflex when they heard the metallic sound.

"I believe we have a score to settle first," the older twin said quietly. "I cannot let this end on a tie."  
"What?! You wanna do this at _this_ hour?!"  
"It's barely two in the morning, kid," Dante huffed, a smirk on his lips.  
"I'm not gonna start a fight with anyone at two in the morning! I'm fucking tired!"  
"Is that an excuse in case you lose?" his uncle teased him.  
"No! I'm _legit_ sleepy!"  
"Your intonation doesn't express much tiredness," Vergil commented.  
"Fuck you! I'm more human than you two, I need my Z's."

He hissed when he heard the sinister sound of the Yamato leaving its sheath, and his spectral arms were above his head before he could even think about it, blocking the demonic blade. He shook his head, not believing what had just happened.

"Are you fucking serious dad?! That could have killed me!"  
"You reacted well."  
"He ain't tired," Dante agreed. "C'mon kid, let's do this."

Devil Sword Dante joined its sister, and Nero's Devil Trigger activated, yellow eyes glowing, claws out. Okay then. Time to beat up those two idiots.

***

The sun was just starting to color the sky when the twins finally accepted giving Nero a break. They had teamed up to beat him a few times, but at other times he had joined his father into giving Dante a lesson of humility. And at other times yet, he had supported Dante by holding his father in place while his uncle was using Balrog.

They all pretty much collapsed on the ground, exhausted. Dante curled up into his coat and fell asleep right there and then, content, while Nero closed his eyes, feeling his jacket's demonic energy sink into his body, soothing his muscles and relieving his tiredness. Damn he loved that thing. It was so good. He opened his eyes when he felt a hand on his shoulder, only to see Vergil sitting by his side, eyes slightly narrowed.

"What are you-"  
"Do not move."

There was a blue glow, and Nero gasped when he felt his jacket's energy increase. He stared at his father with wide eyes until Vergil nodded to himself, satisfied, and removed his hand.

"That will do."  
"You didn't need to do that," Nero protested half-heartedly, sitting too.  
"I did. You don't feed it enough demonic energy to keep it up."  
"I don't... I don't really _know_ how to pour energy into stuff," he reluctantly admitted, looking away.

He heard a little huff. "You will learn."  
"Will I really?"  
"You will."

He looked back at his father, who was sporting a tiny little smile. It was pretty faint, but it was there, and he could see that Vergil's expression had softened as well.

"You will," Vergil repeated, and Nero shook a bit, nodding wordlessly.

He knew his father wasn't a man of many words. He also knew from experience that his father didn't lie. Vergil saying that Nero would learn- that could only mean one thing: he was making it his personal mission to teach it to his son. It made Nero grin, forgetting his tiredness.

"Okay."

_Thank you, dad,_ he thought, before he looked at Dante, who was still visibly content to sleep in the grass. _And thank you too for this weird bonding op_.

"Next time, dad, I'll crush you at Mario Party," he mumbled to avoid losing face, glancing back at his father.

This time, the smile on Vergil's lips was more obvious, and definitely more amused.

"I'll be looking forward to it."


End file.
